


The Taste of Eternity

by extremelyperturbed



Category: Hannibal (TV), TAKAHASHI Rumiko - Works
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Character Death, Drama, F/M, Gore, Multi, mermaid will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-04-19 17:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4755152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extremelyperturbed/pseuds/extremelyperturbed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack knows his wife has a terminal illness so he asks Hannibal for help to find a last chance for a cure:  mermaid flesh that is rumored to confer immortality and healing upon the eater.  Unfortunately, there are others who want that flesh for their own reasons.  And fairy tales are not always what they seem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You’re looking for a mermaid,” said Hannibal as he sat opposite Jack at his dining table. He poured a glass of Pinot Noir for each of them. 

“Yes,” said Jack Crawford. He took a sip of the wine before putting it back down on the table.

“Why do you think I would know where to find something that mythical?”

“You’re a collector of Japanese and Grecian antiques. You also happen to be a hunter and gourmand, noted for being driven to find anything you desire. Also, one of your aunt’s ancestors was rumored to have caught and captured one.”

Hannibal narrowed his eyes. “So then you are familiar with some of the legends regarding those beings.”

“I know they have little in common with the Disney version,” said Jack. “They’re dangerous and elusive but if you eat their flesh, you become immortal and close to invulnerable.”

“I did not think you the type to lust for eternity.”

“It’s not for me. It’s for Bella.”

“Bella?”

Jack lowered his voice. “She has stage four lung cancer. There is no stage five. It’s not immortality I’m after. It’s a cure.”

“Ah, I see. However if it does more than cure her . . .”

“Then I will eat it as well.”

“You have excited my curiosity,” said Hannibal. “However, it will not be easy. It will also be expensive.”

Jack nodded. “There is no point in retiring if we don’t get to spent our twilight years together. I’ve already figured out how to liquidate all my assets if necessary.”

“Does she know about this?”

“Not yet. I didn’t want to raise her hopes unnecessarily.”

“I don’t believe you will have to bankrupt yourself in order to field an expedition,” said Hannibal. “I know of someone who might be interested in funding this, perhaps all of it.”

***

Jack stared fixedly out the window of the private jet. Of all the people he had hoped would help, the last person he would have picked was Mason Verger. While extremely wealthy and with every resource at his beck and call, he was someone with a very bad reputation, rumored to attack children and employees and even his sister but able to use his influence to cover up some very nasty incidents. 

Jack glanced at the man with the ravaged face sitting in the wheelchair. He couldn’t help but wonder if one of his victims had managed to strike back at him. The official story, of course, was that he had fallen into the pig pen and had been attacked by his own pigs when he was unable to get away because he had broken his neck. He probably decided he was going to take care of the perpetrator himself, thought Jack, who had found the story suspicious. 

Bella had not liked the idea of him leaving to do this. “I’d rather spend what little time I have with you,” she had said. “Don’t try to buy me time that doesn’t exist.”

“I’ve given myself a time limit. If we don’t find the beast after three months are up, I will come back and spend every day with you but if I did nothing to save you then I would regret that for the rest of my life.”

Hannibal himself had said as he had driven Jack to meet Mason. “I know you won’t care for him but once you see him, you’ll understand that his need and motive for finding the mermaid is as great as yours.”

At least that much was true, thought Jack. Being unable to walk with only limited use of one’s arms was something anybody would want cured. Though his sympathy was limited by the fact that upon being introduced, the man had snapped and pointed at him, saying, “What do we need him for?” and almost every other thing that had come out of his mouth had been worse.

To take his mind off Mason, he thought about the books Hannibal had given him to read about mermaids. Much of what they said agreed with what he had previously read. They were apex predators of the ocean, with even different species of mermaids feeding on each other. In their true form, they had sharp teeth and claws, living on fish. They could be killed by being beheaded or being pierced by multiple iron spears. They would often have their top half mimic human form to seduce the unwary. Eating their flesh conferred not only immortality but almost instant healing even from major illnesses and injuries. They did not lay eggs but gave live birth. A few could completely mimic human form and form bonds with humans in a way that showed they were sentient beings even if they had not created an easily observable civilization or shown an ability to create technology.

The one book that had really gotten Jack’s interest was the translation Hannibal had done of one of his aunt’s antiques. It was supposedly the diary of one of her ancestors who had caught the mermaid and eaten its mermaid flesh, which had been a strange iridescent color with a mild flavor. At first he had been glad for the blessings of the meat. However, he had regretted it once his family grew older while he stayed young. His wife aged and died and his children soon looked older than him. The others became afraid that he was really a demon or some kind of monster summoned by the clan. However, he was kept around since he was invaluable as a fighter who could not only cut any other warrior down but also terrify others with his very presence. In the end, he charged into battles not for honor nor for his clan but in the hopes that a samurai from the other side would cut his head cleanly off to relieve him from a life he now cursed.


	2. Chapter 2

“This is my associate Chiyoh,” said Hannibal, introducing a sharply dressed Japanese woman with a serious expression to Jack and Mason Verger's entourage. She was standing in front of Hannibal's aunt's mansion near the coast of eastern Japan. “She has been the one to do the research for our group.”

Mason looked her up and down and said, “I got to say that you’ve got excellent taste.” He smacked what served as his lips as if enjoying a treat. 

“Our relationship isn’t like that,” said Hannibal. “And it would be foolish to disrespect her.”

Chiyoh looked utterly disgusted so it was obvious she had understood what he had said. Her understanding of English was confirmed when she said, “Let’s talk further about this inside.”

Once everybody was inside, Chiyoh said, “This estate is miles away from the nearest village. And most of the village population consists of a few fishing families. In a few generations, the village might fade away. This gives us a lot of latitude in our operations. The cover story is that you are all tourists on a side trip to the countryside, who want something a little different.”

“And it was one of those fishing families that said that they had seen something unusual in the waters lately,” said Hannibal.

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t they scoop it in their nets and bring it in? If they’re worried about their village going kaput, that would attract more money and people than they would know what to do with . . .” snapped Mason. 

“Because they believe it is bad luck to capture one,” said Chiyoh. “I believe that it would be a lie to say that I don’t feel the same.”

“Then why are you on this venture?” said Jack.

“Because Hannibal asked for my help and his aunt was most generous to me,” she said. “In order to keep our cover, I have hired skilled people who can be discreet. In the basement, there is an Olympic-sized pool that can be used as a holding pen.” 

Jack frowned. “Aren’t we going to kill it the second we get it?”

“We have no idea how long their flesh will hold their magical properties. We plan on keeping them fresh until just before dinner,” said Hannibal. “I have made arrangements that your wife will be flown here the second we catch one.”

Mason interjected, “I sense opportunity! Just imagine if we can capture more than one, I could breed these things for a very select and exclusive market.”

Chiyoh was about to say something when Jack noticed Hannibal shake his head slightly. Chiyoh said, “You may try if you like. It may be harder than you think. Please excuse me.” She turned and left the room. 

“Mmm, feisty. I like a challenge,” said Mason in a way that signaled that he liked feistiness only because he enjoyed curtailing it. “It makes me more eager to regain the use of my body.”

Hannibal’s mouth pressed into a thin line before he said, “Your room will be on the first floor. Your assistants will be in the rooms next to yours.”

As Cordell helped Mason into his room, Hannibal went upstairs to show Jack his room. 

Once they were out of earshot of Mason, Jack said, “I can’t say that I’m thrilled at the idea of him regaining full function of his body.”

“The man doesn’t need his body to cause problems for others. His many servants serve as his hands and arms.”

“Will you be eating the meat?”

“Yes.”

“How about . . .”

“Chiyoh? No, she has no interest in that sort of thing. After all, she did read the same diary I lent you.”

“What do you think of Mason’s idea of trying to breed them in order to create a permanent supply of mermaid meat?”

“I believe it will work as well as keeping orcas in small pools to be used as entertainment. Not very well.” Hannibal opened the door to a room. “Good night, Jack.”

***  
As Jack stood on the deck near the front of the fishing boat, he said to Hannibal who was standing next to him, “Do you really think that we’ll be able to catch it?” It amused him to see Hannibal was wearing something other than his usual suit complete with tie and pocket square. He was wearing swimming trunks as if he expected to take a dip later on in the day. 

Hannibal turned to Jack. “Yes,” said Hannibal. “There are half a dozen fishing boats and just as many drones. Also, I have chum.”

“Chum?”

Hannibal had the boat go further out to sea before two of Chiyo’s men took several large buckets and threw what appeared to be fish parts and blood overboard.

“Is there something special in it?”

Hannibal simply smiled. "For the mermaid, yes."

Jack watched as the red liquid and the bits spread and sank into the water. He had heard about how sharks could sense blood in the water from long distances. It seems Hannibal is counting on that, he thought.

Hannibal went below deck then came back with two glasses of red wine. After Hannibal handed Jack one, they stood together enjoying the scenery and sipping the wine. 

“How’s your wife?” said Hannibal.

Jack sighed. “I called her last night. She’s doing as well as can be expected. I told her that it wouldn’t be long. I hope I didn’t tell her a lie.”

Hannibal was about to reply when two fisherman began yelling excitedly about something large swimming towards the chum. Hannibal picked up a harpoon and ran to where they were pointing. The men cast a net but it dove underneath the net and began swimming away when Hannibal jumped into the water. 

***  
Jack looked at the mermaid sulking in the basement pool of the mansion. The mermaid had his tail curled up underneath him and had his arms crossed. 

“Something wrong, Jack?” said Hannibal.

“I find the way he looks disturbing,” said Jack. He had expected something more alien or more horrific looking. While the tail of the mermaid was three meters long with large iridescent scales, Jack would describe the upper half as a brown-haired Caucasian male with blue eyes, symmetrical and handsome features, and a slim build. The stab wound Hannibal had inflicted on his abdomen was already healing.

“I think he looks like a Greek god from a Botticelli painting,” said Hannibal. 

“That’s what’s so disturbing,” said Jack. “My wife is someone who has qualms about foie gras. I can’t imagine that the problems she’ll have with something that looks as human as he does. And she wants to see what a mermaid looks like before she eats it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen her name spelled Chiyo at IMDB but also Chiyoh at other places.
> 
> Margot is alive but decided to remain in the States. As she did not get sterilized by Mason since she didn't get pregnant by Will, she doesn't have that reason to push her to take it.


	3. Chapter 3

“Then you will have to work on convincing her to do so.”

Jack frowned. “Why does he look . . . I remember one of the books mentioned a mermaid with long, black hair . . .”

“Man is not the only animal that travels. The arctic tern flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic then back again as part of its yearly migration. The shortest distance round trip would be twenty-four thousand miles while the path it actually takes is at least double that. While humans have known that mermaids have existed for centuries, not much is known about them besides the effects of eating them. This particular creature has possibly existed for centuries, perhaps it’s part of his migration pattern or perhaps he was curious about the world.”

“And why did you jump into the water with only a knife?”

“I thought he was about to escape the nets. I thought this could possibly be our only chance at getting him.”

“That was reckless of you.”

“For such a prize, risking my life is worth it.”

“I should call my wife to tell her that we found what we were looking for.”

“Chiyo has made arrangements for her transportation.”

***  
“Could I see the mermaid?” said Bella as Chiyoh drove them to the mansion. Traveling now tired her and she had slept most of the way through the flight and much of the drive. She woke up fifteen minutes before they were to reach their destination. 

“I’m not sure you should do so. If you see it, you might feel compassion for it. It would sour your dining experience.”

“This is the only time I’ll ever see one. It would be a shame to have had the opportunity and not take it. You mentioned that it was still alive.”

“It is swimming in the basement pool,” said Chiyoh. “This is your first time in Japan?”

“Yes, it is. I’m hoping that Jack and I can go see Osaka or Tokyo afterwards. It’s been a long time since we last had a long vacation together. If it doesn't work, then this might be the last time.”

Once they reached the mansion, Chiyoh rang Jack’s room, only to have it go unanswered. “It appears he is not here at the moment. He and Hannibal often go on walks along the beach. I’m sure he will be back shortly.” Chiyoh gave a manservant Bella’s bags to take to Jack’s room. “Take them to his room. When he comes back to the mansion, tell him that his wife is in the basement, waiting for him.”

Chiyoh turned to Bella and showed her the elevator to the basement. Once it had reached the floor, Chiyoh showed her down a dimly lit hallway to a double door. 

Once inside the room, she saw a room that held an Olympic-sized pool. She was surprised when what appeared to be a man breached the surface and look at her with curious eyes. She was further surprised when the man’s lower half was not a pair of legs but a long, scaly tail. 

“This is the mermaid?” said Bella. She looked for any sign that this was a man wearing a costume but there were nothing showing that this was a costume, a fraud. 

“Yes,” said Chiyoh. 

“He’s beautiful. I thought he wouldn’t be . . . Are there any more like him?”

“Nobody knows.”

“So, he might be the last of his kind.” Bella turned to Chiyoh.

“There are rumors of sightings elsewhere but who knows if those rumors are true.”

“Does he understand what we’re saying?” said Bella.

“Ever since he was captured, he hasn’t said a word. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t want to or he can’t.” 

Suddenly, the mermaid began humming then started singing a wordless aria in a minor key. Bella looked at him then at Chiyoh and saw that her companion was also surprised. They stood listening as his voice filled the room not only with a melody but with a feeling of deep melancholy and loneliness. After a few minutes, the song came to an end with the mermaid suddenly letting the last note fade then swimming along the edges of the pool. 

“Bella!”

Bella turned around to see her husband and Hannibal walk through the door. “Jack!” She rushed over to him. 

Jack held her tightly and kissed her. “I missed you, baby.”

“I missed you, too,” said Bella. 

“Welcome to Japan, Bella,” said Hannibal. 

“Hello, Dr. Lecter,” she said, entangling from her husband‘s embrace. “What are you holding?” She noticed that he was holding a cooler.

“I’m feeding Will.”

“Will?”

“That’s the mermaid’s name.”

The mermaid seemed more wary of Hannibal and acted as if he was going to swim back to the bottom of the pool until Hannibal held out a whole sea bream to him. It was so fresh it was still wiggling. 

Will snatched up the fish and quickly wolfed it down, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. Hannibal smiled and handed him a handful of large shrimp which the mermaid popped into his mouth and seemed to enjoy as much as someone would love buttered popcorn. Hannibal handed Will a mackerel pike which he also consumed with gusto. Will licked Hannibal’s hand then turned and swam back to the bottom of the pool.

“Jack, I can’t eat him,” said Bella.

“Bella . . .”

“When I look into his eyes, I feel like there’s someone looking back at me.”

“Bella . . . You’re not the only one looking for a cure. The main person who funded this is wheelchair bound and disfigured. Whether you eat or not, it’s not going to save his life. We can’t save him but we can save you.”

“Let’s talk about this somewhere else.”

***

“Dr. Lecter?” said Mason when he wheeled over to his breakfast table. “While I am glad that we managed to capture one specimen of the species, I am most unhappy that we didn’t manage to capture a breeding pair.”

“Does that mean you will be keeping him alive until we can find another?”

“No, my immediate needs means that this one will end up on the chopping block. But do be sure to get some sperm samples out of it so we can still impregnate the next one we catch. I’ve already got the equipment. If you need help, Cordell can . . .”

“I won’t be needing his help.”

“I’ve heard you’ve become fond of that thing.”

“You raise pigs, boast of their qualities but you still raise them to be eaten, do you not?”

“Ha, ha, you made a good point. Never get too attached, that’s what my father always told me. Not to pigs and not to people,” said Mason. “He was such a fount of good advice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_tern#Distribution_and_migration Arctic terns really do have that long a migration pattern.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SDCv8Mt6wY I had this kind of song in mind for Will. The anime is called Aria and is a very sweet and calm story about New Venezia, a city on Mars that is based on Venice where the main characters are gondoliers. 
> 
> The mermaids in Rumiko Takahashi's work look either monstrous or have an upper half that look like Japanese women thus Jack's surprise.
> 
> I hope to finish up in one or two more parts.


	4. Chapter 4

“I knew I would find you here,” said Chiyoh as she stood by the door to the basement pool room.

Hannibal looked over his shoulder then turned back to watching Will float near the surface. “Please lock the door behind you.”

After she had done so, she said, “Bella Crawford does not want to eat him.”

“And you agree with her.”

“I don’t think she should be tricked or pushed to do it.”

“I promise that she will not be fed mermaid flesh against her will,” said Hannibal.

“I expect you to keep your promise.”

“You know that I do not break my promises.”

Chiyoh nodded. “I know that you also promised Mason that he would eat mermaid flesh.”

“I did. I plan to give him exactly what I promised, nothing less, nothing more.”

“Have you made any promises to Will?” said Chiyoh.

“I’ve made promises to myself regarding Will.”

“Will I need my rifle?”

“It would be wise to keep it on hand. Keep watch. I know you‘ll know what to do.” 

Hannibal turned back to Will and waved for him to come closer.

***  
Mason sat down at the dinner table, accompanied by his servant Cordell. Towards the other end of the table, Jack and Bella were seated facing each other. “What’s wrong, Cordell?” said Mason, noticing that his servant was unusually cross.

“I don’t like being chased out of the kitchen by that rank amateur of a cook,” said Cordell. “He showed me a piece of the tail but insisted that he and only he would be allowed to slice and flavor it.”

“There, there,” said Mason. “Nobody could replace you when it comes to a sauce pan and an oven.” 

Hannibal walked out of the kitchen and stood near the table. “The first course will be a . . .”

“How about we cut to the chase and go for the main course? You know what we want,” snapped Mason, looking like he‘d snap his fingers at him like a drunk diner would a waiter if only he could. “Chop, chop!”

Bella sent Jack a disgusted look. Jack sent her a look that he shared her disgust but also asked her to ignore the buffoonery.

“As you wish,” said Hannibal.

Bella watched as Hannibal walked into the kitchen. A short time later, Hannibal came back with three round plates, barely larger than the saucer for a tea cup, of thinly sliced sashimi arranged in a chrysanthemum pattern. He served Mason first, then Jack and then her. The sashimi itself was a pale pink in color and had a slightly mineral and iron smell. She instantly put her hand over her mouth as she was overcome with nausea.

“Bella, are you all right?” said Jack.

“I‘m just thinking about where it comes from,” said Bella. The intensity of her nausea was exacerbated by her cancer medication and the fact she couldn‘t bring to Japan one of the few things that helped her appetite. 

“You know,” said Mason. “One should never let knowing the origin of one’s meal stop you from tasting it. My father led me through many of his slaughterhouses when I was a child. He even had me fire the bolt into the pigs’ heads. Those are lessons I plan on passing on to the next generation of Vergers once I start producing them.” He looked disdainfully at the chopsticks next to his plates. “I’d like a fork.”

Hannibal handed Cordell a fork and knife set as if he knew he’d be asked for them before moving closer to where the Crawfords were sitting.

Cordell took a slice of the sashimi and fed it to his master. 

Upon masticating it, Mason expressed as much distaste as he could. “The first thing we’re going to do is breed for better taste.” He motioned for Cordell to continue feeding him. After eating a few more slices, he said, “So, how long does it take to work?”

“It should be quite soon,” said Hannibal. 

Mason’s face started to ripple and form itself into its former semblance. “I can . . . I can move my legs,” he crowed before he pushed himself up and out of his chair and stood on his two feet. 

“Bella, look!” said Jack, turning away from Mason to his wife. For the first time in a long time, he felt something like hope. 

“I am . . .” said Bella. “Something’s going wrong . . .”

Jack looked back at Mason, whose eyes seemed to bulge out of his head and whose face and neck had become crisscrossed with veins. A scream began pouring out of his mouth as his body expanded to the point that he burst out of his clothes. His skin became leathery and dark. The man no longer looked human but looked monstrous. 

Cordell began screaming, which caused what was formerly Mason to attack him. 

Bella pushed herself away from the table and Jack rushed to be by her side. He grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

The monster had broken Cordell’s neck and was about to run after the fleeing couple when there was the sound of two shots and the monster’s head was blasted into pieces, effectively decapitating it.

Bella and Jack were stunned into stopping. They saw Chiyo come out of the shadows holding what appeared to be a bolt-action rifle that could bring down an elephant. They could smell that it had been fired. “It should be quite dead,” she said.

“You knew this would happen?” said Jack.

“I did not know. I was told I should be ready with a high caliber weapon in case something happened,” said Chiyoh.

Hannibal said, “I should explain.”

“Yes, you should!” said Bella, her anger overcoming her terror. 

“Mermaid flesh can give its consumer immortality. However, it can also kill you or turn you into a Lost Soul like Mason. There is no rhyme or reason why one becomes immortal or not. You can be eternally evil or a saint turned monster. You can be forever a child or an elder. It is possible that Bella could eat the flesh and regain her health without becoming like Mason.”

“But it’s unlikely,” said Jack.

“Unlikely, yes. It’s even more unlikely for both of you to eat it and not suffer any ill consequences. However, it’s your choice if you want to take the risk.”

“You bastard,” said Jack. 

“No? In that case, you should thank your wife. It was her compassion for Will that kept the both of you from eating it.”

“What are you going to do us now?” said Bella.

“Do? Nothing.”

“We just witnessed . . .” said Jack. 

“Witnessed what? What could you possibly tell the police? You saw a man eat mermaid meat and turn into a monster? Even if you were perfectly fluent in Japanese, you would have a hard time convincing them to come here with that kind of story. And by the time, you get here, everything is going to be cleaned up. Even black light and luminol won‘t show traces of what happened here tonight. Not everybody we hired were just fishermen. Nobody will testify, not even Mason‘s former men. They have a new boss to answer to . . .”

“He has a sister . . .”

“Who has wanted him dead for decades and for very good reason. I’ve seen the scars. He has done much worse to others. No, the cover story is that he suffered a rather unfortunate reaction to fugu liver, a part of the fish that can not be guaranteed to be completed poison-free, a believable cause of death for a man in his condition. He will be cremated and his ashes brought back for burial in the family mausoleum, just a few months before his nephew the heir is born. Cordell will be said to have expired in a similar fashion.”

“We were just camouflage for this scheme?” said Bella.

“No,” said Hannibal. “It’s true that he would be more suspicious if he was the only one invited to taste it. Bringing two friends of mine did serve to put him at ease. However, I meant what I said. You have the right to gamble the year or less of life you have now for eternal life. It’s just now you know what the consequences of losing are.”

Bella turned to Jack. “Jack, let’s go home.”

“Of course, dear,” said Jack. 

“Who I really feel sorry for is the mermaid,” said Bella. “He didn’t deserve to die for this!”

“You’re right. He didn’t deserve to die for this. Chiyoh, please take the Crawfords to the airport.”

“Yes.”

***  
“They’re safely on their way to America?” said Hannibal as Chiyoh entered his bedroom. He was sitting by the window overlooking the beach.

“Yes,” said Chiyoh as she walked towards him. The rest of the people she had hired had cleaned the place from top to bottom, paid off the right people and carefully created proof that their cover story was airtight before leaving. With the monstrous body now in an urn and all the witnesses disinclined to tell the truth, nobody would believe that Mason had died from anything other than culinary misadventure of a more normal sort. “It was a cruel lesson you taught them.”

“Learning is often painful. Jack has problems facing death.”

“Everybody has problems facing death.”

“Jack more than most. I made him concentrate on what was important. However, if they had tasted the flesh and they had both won, I would have been satisfied.”

“Why didn’t you tell her that Will is alive? She feels a great deal of guilt and sadness she didn’t do more to help him.”

Hannibal looked at Will, now sleeping and with two legs on the bed. It had taken a great deal of energy to shed his tail in favor of human legs and meat from that was what Hannibal had served at the disastrous dinner. “I didn’t tell her in order to protect Will. While I trust Bella not to come back for him, I don’t trust Jack not to give in to the temptation at the last minute and feed him to her, possibly while she‘s in a delirious state. As long as Jack believes Will is dead, he won’t search for him.”

“What do you plan to do now? Are you planning to return to life underwater?”

He turned to smile at her. She was the only person who knew his secret and she had kept it all this time. “There are many things I want to teach him about life on land first . . . There will be lots of time to think about that later . . .”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_bolt_pistol is a method of rendering pigs unconscious for slaughter. 
> 
> As for the taste of the flesh . . . In Rumiko Takahashi's work, the taste varies. Yuta the hero found it unobjectionable enough to eat quite a bit of it. Mana ate some without protest. In one of her stories, mermaid flesh that seems to have been handed down as an heirloom gives one boy a burning sensation that he spits it out, preventing himself from becoming a Lost Soul, a mindless monster who attacks others. 
> 
> I had considered an ending where Jack eats it in order to compel Bella to try it only to actually become immortal but Bella never eats it, thus totally screwing himself over by becoming an immortal widower who is embittered enough to hunt Hannibal forever since that's the only thing that gives his life meaning.
> 
> I just like the idea of Mason again being killed by fish going into his mouth. 
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_gun is what Chiyoh used.

**Author's Note:**

> The mermaid canon is based on a mixture of Rumiko Takahashi's mermaid works and fairy tales.


End file.
